What do you think?
Rate this book
Peer Pressure
This is the story of Jodie McPhee, a smart, confident seventeen year old schoolgirl, who finds her life, and potentially her future, beginning to unravel as she falls head over heels for her new English teacher Rob Peer. To make matters worse, he’s already spoken for. To make matters catastrophic, it’s her mother Katy.
What’s a girl to do? For Jodie, the answer is
Sabotage!
“Peer Pressure” is a comic drama about mothers and daughters. It’s a story about the ever decreasing generation gap between parent and child, about friendship and jealousy, about first loves and second chances.
Just your usual girl meets boy, boy fancies girl’s mum type story.
What’s a girl to do? For Jodie, the answer is
Sabotage!
“Peer Pressure” is a comic drama about mothers and daughters. It’s a story about the ever decreasing generation gap between parent and child, about friendship and jealousy, about first loves and second chances.
Just your usual girl meets boy, boy fancies girl’s mum type story.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 2, 2012
1 person is currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Chris Watt
7 books2 followersChris Watt is a writer and was born in 1980.
He graduated from the University of Northumbria in 2001 as a screenwriter and after much back and forth, in and out of the film and tv industry, settled down as the manager of a bookstore in the heart of Aberdeen City.
He lives along the North-East Coast of Scotland, where he torments his wife and daughter with his petulant writer's block.
"Peer Pressure" is his first novel, currently available for the Amazon Kindle.
He is currently working on his second novel.
He also writes for his personal film-related blog:
http://showtheshark.blogspot.com/
He graduated from the University of Northumbria in 2001 as a screenwriter and after much back and forth, in and out of the film and tv industry, settled down as the manager of a bookstore in the heart of Aberdeen City.
He lives along the North-East Coast of Scotland, where he torments his wife and daughter with his petulant writer's block.
"Peer Pressure" is his first novel, currently available for the Amazon Kindle.
He is currently working on his second novel.
He also writes for his personal film-related blog:
http://showtheshark.blogspot.com/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 7, 2012
It was a little over 15 years ago at the Peterhead Academy, situated in the idyllic and wind-drenched coastal town in the Aberdeenshire district of Scotland, that a scandalous rumor began circulating about an illicit affair between a female student and a teacher.(Some spoilers if you continue reading...)
The rumor of course proved to be false. It was later revealed that the teacher in question had been engaged in a relationship with the parent of a student, rather than an actual student. The Peterhead Academy shrugged off the defamatory gossip and remained true to its motto, Domus Super Petram Aedificata, (A House Built on a Rock). The intrigue surrounding the incident left an impression on the then 15-year-old Chris Watt, one that he would develop into his debut novel years later.
Jodie McPhee is a 17-year-old student at the Brushwood Academy. She is smart, confident and always on the search for the ideal guy. Unfortunately what she perceives as her perfect match is the handsome, 25-year-old, new English instructor, Rob Peer.
Katy McPhee is a 32-year-old single mother and, by all accounts, is fit as a fiddle. She eagerly awaits the day her daughter will leave for the University. It is not that Katy doesn't love Jodie, but she has put her life on hold for the past 17 years in order to insure her daughter was raised properly and correctly educated.
Katy doesn't meet Rob Peer under the best of circumstances. He at first spills a drink on her at a local pub, then a few days later crashes into her forehead with a shopping trolley. Despite their initial missteps, the two hit it off.
Jodie is incensed that her own mother has become a rival for the attention of the new man in town, and she promptly schemes to sabotage any further encounters between the two potential lovers. Though, as with any diabolical machinations, the end results vary from the original intent. Jodie covertly cancels their dinner reservations and damages her mother's new outfit. Rob and Katy must find new dining arrangements, and as they huddle in a torrential Scottish rain, they are within a short distance from his flat. As it turns out, Jodie's plans go awry. Her mother and Rob end up drying off at his flat. Bundled together, the rain pouring outside...Katy doesn't return home until late the next morning.
Peer Pressure is a two-fold story. One of the silly, but necessary, schoolgirl crushes that help young women grow up and mature. The other tale is of a woman who, after years of abstinence and sacrifice, reawakens her inner passions and desires to positively change her life. The two stories are cleverly juxtaposed in order to exemplify the different facets of being a female.
The author , is a graduate of the University of Northumbria in Newcastle, where he studied Media Production. He worked briefly at the BBC for a show called "Badger", which failed to get picked up for a second season. He now manages a second hand bookstore and coffee shop, 'Books and Beans' in Aberdeen.
Watt was brought up by a single mother and, using his own close proximity to the experience, expertly expresses a tale of a woman who has put a portion of her life on the pause button. His ability to vocalize the inner thoughts of a female character is stunningly accurate. A smart, emotionally-charged story of unfulfilled needs and desires. When that thirst is quenched, a complete person emerges.
--eNovel Reviews
The rumor of course proved to be false. It was later revealed that the teacher in question had been engaged in a relationship with the parent of a student, rather than an actual student. The Peterhead Academy shrugged off the defamatory gossip and remained true to its motto, Domus Super Petram Aedificata, (A House Built on a Rock). The intrigue surrounding the incident left an impression on the then 15-year-old Chris Watt, one that he would develop into his debut novel years later.
Jodie McPhee is a 17-year-old student at the Brushwood Academy. She is smart, confident and always on the search for the ideal guy. Unfortunately what she perceives as her perfect match is the handsome, 25-year-old, new English instructor, Rob Peer.
Katy McPhee is a 32-year-old single mother and, by all accounts, is fit as a fiddle. She eagerly awaits the day her daughter will leave for the University. It is not that Katy doesn't love Jodie, but she has put her life on hold for the past 17 years in order to insure her daughter was raised properly and correctly educated.
Katy doesn't meet Rob Peer under the best of circumstances. He at first spills a drink on her at a local pub, then a few days later crashes into her forehead with a shopping trolley. Despite their initial missteps, the two hit it off.
Jodie is incensed that her own mother has become a rival for the attention of the new man in town, and she promptly schemes to sabotage any further encounters between the two potential lovers. Though, as with any diabolical machinations, the end results vary from the original intent. Jodie covertly cancels their dinner reservations and damages her mother's new outfit. Rob and Katy must find new dining arrangements, and as they huddle in a torrential Scottish rain, they are within a short distance from his flat. As it turns out, Jodie's plans go awry. Her mother and Rob end up drying off at his flat. Bundled together, the rain pouring outside...Katy doesn't return home until late the next morning.
Peer Pressure is a two-fold story. One of the silly, but necessary, schoolgirl crushes that help young women grow up and mature. The other tale is of a woman who, after years of abstinence and sacrifice, reawakens her inner passions and desires to positively change her life. The two stories are cleverly juxtaposed in order to exemplify the different facets of being a female.
The author , is a graduate of the University of Northumbria in Newcastle, where he studied Media Production. He worked briefly at the BBC for a show called "Badger", which failed to get picked up for a second season. He now manages a second hand bookstore and coffee shop, 'Books and Beans' in Aberdeen.
Watt was brought up by a single mother and, using his own close proximity to the experience, expertly expresses a tale of a woman who has put a portion of her life on the pause button. His ability to vocalize the inner thoughts of a female character is stunningly accurate. A smart, emotionally-charged story of unfulfilled needs and desires. When that thirst is quenched, a complete person emerges.
--eNovel Reviews
December 11, 2012
Very predictable!
February 22, 2018
This book kind of makes me want to roll my eyes until they get stuck in the back of my head. But... it was pretty helpful to me when I talked to the girls about sticking to the story I made about us dancing in the woods. And Parris, if you’re reading this, we were just dancing in the woods. NO ONE was naked. *wink* Anyways... I was able to shut the freak-out girls and I made sure they stood loyal to me. With me in control, no one can stop us. We can get exactly what we deserve in this cruel world. I rated this book three stars because it rambled on and on about peer pressure being wrong, but why would it be wrong when it helped me get where I am now? #ThisIsSoWrongButFeelsSoRight
May 27, 2020
Such a well woven group of characters
This was so well written. Chris did an amazing job developing and layering all of the characters in this novel. We follow Jodie and her mother, Katy, as they both grow into a new time in their life. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Chris!
This was so well written. Chris did an amazing job developing and layering all of the characters in this novel. We follow Jodie and her mother, Katy, as they both grow into a new time in their life. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Chris!
July 20, 2020
This book seems to inspire either 5 or 1 star reviews. For me, it was a breath of fresh air to read a well written book by a talented writer. Yes, as the one star reviews say, the ending is somewhat predictable, but for me, I enjoyed the journey, and felt safe in the hands of a great author. Everyone in this book felt real.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews